Metal for pedals: Bands jam for bike odyssey

If I were to be told that a person was planning to ride her bicycle from Maine to Florida in 30 days or less, my mind would instantly suggest a number of reasons, of varying probability. Lost love might spur a gal to try to find solace in the open road, a la Forest Gump. A guy might be trying to get on one of those World’s Most Amazing People shows, eyeing the segment between the man who can communicate with his stomach gurgles and the boy who can play Mozart’s Requiem on the spoons. Or someone might just be, to use a technical term, “crazy.” But eventually I would begrudgingly decide on the likeliest explanation, which is, of course, riding for charity. Dee Dee Winfield, Samantha Jones, and Sally Carson are once again proving 14th century logician William of Occam’s principle (Occam’s Razor): They are undertaking their East Coast long-distance pedalathon to benefit the American Cancer Society and Hospice of the Piedmont.On June 22, the three cyclists will begin their junket from Calais, Maine, to Miami, Florida, a trip of 1828.48 miles, hoping to complete it in a month or less. Winfield, an exercise physiologist at a general clinical research lab at UVA, and Jones, an activities director at Rosewood Village, made the same trip last year. Carson is a recently arrived bike messenger from New York who will be making the trip for the first time. The American Cancer Society is a cause everyone knows, but Hospice of the Piedmont might be a bit under the radar. Since 1988, Hospice of the Piedmont “has lived out a pervasive philosophy and unique approach to end-of-life care: that the patient's choice must be upheld, that no one should die alone or in pain, and that the needs of the entire family must be addressed.” Also a worthy cause, I think we all can agree.And now for the (perhaps not obvious) music tie-in: To raise funds to support their trip, the three are holding a benefit show at Outback Lodge on April 18, featuring the donated live sounds of four local acts: the country-pop/rock group Luxury Liner, the jam band Jalapeno Cornbread, the surf/pop group Ohm’s Law, and the old-school rap cover group Frontbutt. Luxury Liner– which was called High Stakes Band before the departure of female vocalist Julie Freund– features singer/songwriters Ken Hymes and Charles Davis, and plays sweet lo-fi rock with tight sad harmonies. I haven’t heard Jalapeno Cornbread before (although I’ve never been one for the “jam” aspect of jam bands), and though Ohm’s Law and Frontbutt are both lots of fun to see live, Luxury Liner, with their delicate songwriting and melodious songs, is the act I’m most looking forward to at the show.Check out the cyclists’ webpage at HYPERLINK http://www.biketrippin.com biketrippin.com for details on their trip and how to donate to this worthy cause. And if you’re looking for a pleasantly noisy way to help them reach their goal, check out the Outback Lodge April 18.

Fund raiser for the American Cancer Society and Hospice of the Piedmont with Luxury Liner, Jalapeno Cornbread, Ohm’s Law, and Frontbutt at Outback Lodge, April 18 $5, 7pm.